It was more of the same for Canadian Para swimmers with medals and records on Thursday in Singapore, including one of the world championship variety.
Danielle Dorris, fresh off capturing silver in women’s 100-metre backstroke S7 on Wednesday, finished the 50 butterfly S7 race in 33.93 seconds, lowering her championship record from 33.93, set on Aug. 4, 2023 in Manchester, England.
The Moncton, N.B., native has also held the 32.99 world mark since Sept. 3, 2021.
Dorris joins Aurélie Rivard and Benoît Huot as the only Canadian Para swimmers to win three straight world titles in the same event.
“Being able to be on par with people like Aurélie and Benoît is fantastic,” Dorris told Swimming Canada. “I first met them when I was 13 going to my first [Paralympic] Games in Rio [in 2016], and here I am [nine] years later, still going. It’s amazing.”
Rivard, a six-time Paralympic champion, is taking time away from the pool this season to focus on her law degree at Laval Univeristy in Quebec City. She was crowned four consecutive times in women’s 50 and 100 freestyle S10, while Huot triumphed four times in a row in the men’s 200 individual medley SM10.
“I’m really happy that I was able to [successfully] defend my title once again,” said Dorris, the reigning two-time Paralympic champion in the event. “It’s always a lot of fun racing these girls. I couldn’t have asked for a better night.
“It definitely never gets old. I could see myself doing this for a few more years.”
WATCH | Dorris covers 100m backstroke in 33.93 seconds on way to world title:
Danielle Dorris of Moncton, NB., added gold to her medal count with a win in the women’s 50-meter butterfly S7 final, in a time of 33.93.That is a championship record, at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.
Mallory Weggemann of the United States took silver in Thursday’s race contested in a 50-metre pool in 34.25 at OCBC Aquatic Centre, with Colombia’s Sara Vargas Blanco earning bronze (35.21).
Weggemann was on Dorris’s heels the entire race and finished 32-100ths of a second behind. The Canadian, who has defeated Weggemann at each of the last two Paralympic Games, was aware of the close battle on Thursday.
“I could see Mallory in my peripherals pretty much the entire time,” Dorris said. “I was very nervous that she was going to come up and catch me, but I just pushed on through and was able to pull it off in the end.”
Dorris, a three-time Paralympic medallist, competed in a 25-metre pool in early August and lowered world records in the 100 IM and twice in the 50 butterfly S7 at the Canadian short-course championships in Sherbrooke, Que.
She was born with underdeveloped arms due to a condition called bilateral radial dysplasia.
WATCH | Dorris delivers her 2nd career silver-medal performance at worlds:
Danielle Dorris of Moncton, N.B., finished second in the women’s 100-meter backstroke S7 final, in a time of 1:23.10 at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.
Canada has eight medals at these world championships, including two gold (Mary Jibb won women’s 200 IM SM9) to rank 15th among 33 countries.
Katie Cosgriffe of Burlington, Ont., twice lowered her national mark on the way to a bronze medal in women’s 100 fly S10.
Cosgriffe takes down 6-year-old Americas mark
The 19-year-old, who went 1:06.75 at last year’s Canadian Paralympic trials in Toronto, clocked 1:06.46 in the heats before a 1:05.82 effort in the final. Her performance was also an Americas record, eclipsing the 1:06.28 mark by Mikaela Jenkins of the United States six years ago.
“I knew I had a shot at medalling going into this but I didn’t want to focus on the medal,” said Cosgriffe, who represents Wilfrid Laurier University and the Oakville Aquatic Club in Ontario.
Cosgriffe predicted the Americas mark after exiting the pool from Thursday’s morning heats.
“This morning … I wanted to stay in control. But after the race I realized I went out way too slow,” she said. “That’s why I knew I had so much left in the tank.”
Defne Kurt of Turkey set a European record and winning time of 1:03.91 ahead of Faye Rogers of Great Britain (1:03.94).
WATCH | Cosgriffe lowers her Canadian record to 1:05.82 in 100m butterfly:
Katie Cosgriffe of Toronto, Ont., won a bronze medal at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore on Thursday. she won the bronze in the women’s 100-metre butterfly S10 final in a time of 1:05.82, that is a new America’s record time.
Last September, Cosgriffe earned her first Paralympic medal, claiming bronze in the event at Paris La Défense Arena in France.
She has a neurological disorder known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, an inherited nerve problem that causes abnormalities in the nerves that supply your feet, legs, hands, and arms.
At 2023 worlds, Cosgriffe was the youngest Canadian team member in England, where she competed in five events but didn’t medal.
In men’s action Thursday, Nick Bennett reached the medal podium in a tightly contested 200 IM S14 for his second medal of the week and fifth bronze for Canada.
The native of Parksville, B.C., finished in two minutes 6.30 seconds for bronze, 90-100ths behind gold medallist Gabriel Bandeira of Brazil, who took down the Canadian’s 16-month-old world record.
WATCH | Bennett earns medal in men’s 200m IM but loses his world record:
Watch as medals are won on the fifth day of competition at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.
Bandeira clocked 2:05.40 to defeat Great Britain’s Rhys Darbey, who came at 2:05.84 for a new European mark.
“It stings a little bit to see my world record broken. It just shows that there’s always room for improvement even when you’re at the top in your event,” said Bennett.
“These championships are just a stepping stone for the new Paralympic quad.”
The 21-year-old, who now lives in Red Deer, Alta., was the first Canadian to medal in Singapore, taking bronze in men’s 200 freestyle S14 on Sunday.
“This year is really about setting up the whole Paralympic Games quad,” Bennett said at the time, “so I’m quite happy with that start. I honestly can’t be disappointed.”
At age three, Bennett was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. It is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave.
WATCH | Full replay coverage of Day 5 evening finals from Singapore:
Nicholas Bennett of Parksville, BC., won bronze in the men’s 200-meter individual medley SM14 final, in a time of 2:06.30 at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore. Brazilian Gabriel Bandeira set a new world record with a time of 2:05.40
Other Canadian results Thursday:
- Mary Jibb, Bracebridge, Ont. — 5th, women’s 400-metre freestyle S9 (4:50.14 personal best)
- Shelby Newkirk, Saskatoon — 6th, women’s 100 breaststroke SB5 (2:01.47)
- Fernando Lu, Burnaby, B.C. — 6th, men’s 100 butterfly S10 (58.45 seconds)
- Abi Tripp, Kingston, Ont. — 6th, women’s 50 free S8 (32.81)
- Nicolas-Guy Turbide, Quebec City — 6th, men’s 500 free S13 (24.79)
- Jagdev Gill, Brockville, Ont. — 8th, men’s 100 fly S10 (59.58 PB)
- Canada (Katie Cosgriffe, Ali Diehl, Sebastian Massabie, Gill) — 5th, mixed 4×100 medley relay (4:50.00, 34 points)
Source link
